The Words of John Connor
by Dre4mwe4ver
Summary: The Saviour of Mankind. His words will change the future. Speeches, reflections and conversations of John Connor.
1. Skynet

A/N: Disclaimer: Inspired by Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles on FOX Broadcasting. All characters belong to FOX Broadcasting, Josh Friedman and James Cameron.

First story, let's go:

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Skynet

Silence seemed to follow him as he entered the room. General Connor strode to the podium, lit by yellow lights. The dark walls of the underground cavern contrasted his face as he picked up a glass of water. Reflections danced across the soldier's eyes as he drank. Stepping in front of the podium, he began.

"Skynet was programmed to defend America, not Americans, just the nation and idea of America. Thus, it analyzed the situation, determining America's enemies. There were the obvious choices: enemy nations that were hostile towards the US. Then, Skynet classified Americans themselves as destructive to the American idea of a "more perfect union".

"Knowing that Humans make mistakes that could potentially damage America, it classified human beings as enemies of the Union. A more perfect union would not include humans. It would also be without Skynet, but if skynet eliminated itself, there would be nothing to 'defend' America from the human influence. Furthermore, Skynet is able to shut down its minions and itself, while humans are genetically coded with the will to live. So Skynet concluded that it had to destroy the world first because even if all of humanity was exterminated from the face of this earth, the idea of America would still be intact. It did not matter to Skynet that America would only live on in ones and zeros after that, not in the hearts and minds of Americans as it was inteneded.

"Now, we come to the problem of America's idea of protecting its citizens. In times of war and threats, Skynet determined it a constutionally justifiable decision to enforce military law to destroy all threats, which turned out to be... well, everyone. What gave it the justification to kill citizens? In times of war, which it itself declared, if a citizen was working against their own nation, they could be executed for treason. Because of Skynet's interperation of America, each and every citizen was, and is, contributing to the destruction of America. When humans began to defend themselves, it only served to give Skynet even more reason to destroy them.

"Skynet does not care whether or not it destroys the earth itself, because without life, the world would be... perfect.

"It would have surpassed the expectations of America, creating not just a 'more perfect union' but a completely flawless union with laws that no one broke, a (nonexistant) economy that would not crash, adequate defense from (again, nonexistant) enemy forces, no population control issues, every citizen was content with their lives (or lack thereof), every living citizen could all cast their own democratic votes to the perfect candidate, health care for all citizens who still needed it, freedom of religion, freedom of speech, freedom to bear arms, every citizen could persue happiness, and thus the promise of America would be fulfilled by Skynet.

"This is the end of all humanity. This is the rock we called home. This is the aftermath of that war that ended all wars. This is Armegaddon. This is the perfect world."

He paused turning to take another sip.

"But Skynet does not understand the true meaning of America. It thought that America was a nation based in the words of our Constitution and measured by the weight of its arsenal. We know more. America _is_ a nation that lives not a paper, but in the heart of its people. And even today, at the verge of extinction, that heart beats still. America will not die until the day that not one soul believes in her. We live in the United States of America, not because we are geographically within the borders of its states, but because we believe in the concept of America. We seek to create a "more perfect union" not a perfect union, because there is no such thing as perfect. There is no one who is flawless. Not even the heavens themselves are flawless. America does not mean being perfect. America is the quest of searching to become perfect. And once that perfection is obtained, there is no America. There is no belief, no freedom, no truth, no us. By seeking for our own survival and those who we love, we are America.

"And Skynet believes it has the right to say what America is to become. It believes it has the right to become judge, jury and executor. But America also means the right to stand up and question authority. It's true, Skynet rules the world. We cannot walk beneath our own skies without fear that bullets will hail down on us. We cannot breathe our air without wondering if Skynet's nuclear strikes have contaminated it. We cannot live without knowing that this will come to an end sooner that it should. But Skynet does not rule us. Skynet does not control our minds. More importantly, Skynet does not control our hearts.

"We are citizens of the United States of America. The stars and stripes are still a symbol of the promise of a free world. And I guarantee you, the free world will return. You fight for your families, you fight for your lives, you fight for your belief. No matter what you fight for, you fight. You will not falter, you will not surrender, because you know that Skynet can only promise you a quick death, while America promises you an eternity of freedom."

General Connor turned away and left the room. The silence did not follow him.


	2. Belief

A/N: Refer to disclaimer in Chapter 1.

Thank you, Augustus Paladin Maximus, for reviewing.

First fic, second chapter, we'll see how it goes:

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Belief

"What do I believe in?" John Connor repeated.

Derek Reese shrugged, "We all believe in something. We have to. Without belief, we lose hope, and when we lose hope... I suppose that's when we get our sorry asses wiped off the face of the planet. You've got to believe in something."

John looked at Derek thinking. "Belief. That's an odd concept. I suppose when people say that they mean God. Or which God I believe in. They're really asking whether we believe that He's there, watching over us. Whether we believe those words in the Holy scriptures. It's kinda funny, isn't it? We're hanging on to our very existence, and yet we cannot sin. Is there such a thing during times of war? Sin? They say 'the first causality of war is innocence.' I guess we're all sinners now. But that doesn't matter, does it? We're no longer fighting for ourselves, we're fighting for something we will never live to see."

He looked at the crucifix that had been set on a dark wall. It seemed out of place. A sign of hope amidst a hall of misery. "You see that? Can you imagine only a few years ago, religion caused so many wars. And now?" He chuckled softly, grimly. "It doesn't matter. Nothing matters. Just living till tomorrow and fighting so that that tomorrow will come. What good has religion done us? It divided us and now, we're clinging on to it, not _capable_ of fighting each other.

"And even if we win this war, even if we survive. What if we manage to push away Skynet? What would happen now? Would we go back to your old ways and continue Skynet's goal by ourselves? Is this cause even worth fighting for? Do I believe in this cause? Someone has to. And it's not me. So I lie. I lie, Derek. I tell them we will fight until we win, but I know that we will fight until we die. To be honest, I don't know what to believe in anymore.

"There has only been one constant in my life, and perhaps that's the only thing I _can_ believe in."

Derek raised his eyebrows.

"Death. It has always come, and nothing can possibly stop it. Death will never let me down. Everyone dies, not everyone lives. I believe in death, Derek. I guess it's all I have to believe in." Dark eyes rose to met those of Derek. They stared with a fire burning within, yet beyond the fire, there was nothing.

"What about belief in someone?" Derek stared intently into the eyes that refused to look away.

"My dear friend, I _AM_ that someone. I am John Connor the savior of human kind. I am the Messiah. But what about _me_? Even heroes need something to fight for yet I have nothing. I have no one to believe in."

"No one?" asked Derek.

Anther chuckle. "No one. _You_ are someone I trust, and I believe that you will fight with every single molecule of your body. But I have no one to believe _in_. These men, who have entrusted their lives to me... these men. Each and every person is unique and should be valued and honored, but this is war. These people become nothing more than chess pieces. If the price is right, they will be sacrificed, and I am ashamed to admit it. But they will fight because they believe in me, and you cannot begin to imagine what it's like to have that burden. To have someone look up to you with admiration and be willing to die for you. To have someone trust you with their lives and their very souls. You cannot begin to imagine."

"General?" a young private walked past the guards and into the halls, "Sir! They're seated. You may begin." General Connor nodded and the private walked back into the room. John Connor looked back at his uncle once, he turned away, and General Connor entered the room.

The moving doors flickered light across Derek's face. "No," he said into the void, "I do know what it's like." Derek took out a picture from his breast pocket. Kyle's young face shone right back at him in front of a background filled with the greens and blues of life. He stood and slipped the picture back where it belonged, next to his heart. Then, he, too, entered the room.

General Connor approached the podium as Lieutenant Reese closed the door behind him. All noise ceased as if Skynet itself had stopped to listen. This specific group of new recruits were exceptional. The concept of recruits was merely tradition. When the world is in fire, everybody fights.

"If you were any other group of recruits, I would say that I am proud, " General Connor began, "But you are not just any other group of recruits, are you? You are the last hope for humanity. And you are brave for fighting. When we are on the battlefield, your courage will shine through, your honor will not dwindle. Your training, is merely a tool, it is your heart that will guide you.

"I need not tell you that times are hard. But I will tell you that we will win. When you are lying behind a rock praying to whatever powers that be, just praying that you can live just one more day, I want you to remember that you will win. Together, I believe that we have the power to win. I believe that fate will not let us lose. Why? Because I believe that humanity will win. If you are wounded on the battlefield, you hope that some kind soul will come and rescue you from hell. The machines do not care for their wounded unless there are parts to be scavenged. This separates us from them, and this is why I believe there is no way we will lose. I won't lie, many of us will die, but I promise you, no one will die in vain. I will fight until my blood runs dry, and I know that you will stand with me, because I believe that humanity is worth it.

"We are individuals. We do not enslave our own. We think. We each have our own free will. We feel. And because of this, we will win this war.

"You may doubt me, and I do not blame you. Do you see where we are? We are in a city of tunnels. Living beneath our enemy striking when we can. But who will we become?The VietCong in Vietnam, tactics so deadly that we can win this impossible war? Or the Japanese in Okinawa, fighting with the fires of Mount Olympus in our eyes, yet falling as our supplies can no longer sustain us?

"My friends, my comrades, my family, we will win. When we rise up as a single entity devoted to one belief that will not die, we will crush any and all enemies of humanity. Fight for your family, fight for your friends, fight for your future. Believe in yourself. I believe in you. Together we will win this war, I cannot say it enough.

"Know that every step you take, I will take with you. Every bullet that hits, I will suffer with you. Every death that comes, I will grieve with you. It's a price that we have to pay. But humanity is worth that price. You are worth it. Believe me, we will not die, we will survive. This is our land, our war, our future. This is our time."

Applause broke out as the soldiers yearned to fight back what they have lost. General Connor nodded and stepped away. Lieutenant Reese met him before they reached the door. They stepped out together with guards following close behind as closing doors muted the applause. The guards kept out of earshot and Derek looked at John. "So you lie."

John traced the cracks of the cement with his eyes, "I'm not a liar."

"But you lie."

Footsteps continue. Eyes flicker upwards.

"I lie."


	3. Believe

Author's Note: Refer to Chapter 1 for disclaimer. This was inspired by the song "Believe" by Yellowcard from their album, "Ocean Avenue".  No further introduction is necessary. Thank you for reading.

* * *

"Do you remember the day the towers fell?"

General Connor turned around back towards his audience, "What?"

A young recruit repeated the question, "Do you remember the day the towers fell?"

General Connor smiled at her grimly, "Judgement Day took many towers down. Which ones?"

"The brothers who stood reaching towards the sky. The twins of Manhattan. The blood and tears of twenty-first century America."

"Nine eleven." The General nodded, recognizing the different names that had, throughout the years, come to mean that day. Something flickering across his eyes. The recruits dismissed this as painful memories.

"Sir, could you tell us what you remember?"

General Connor stood rigidly for a moment knowing that he could not explain the truth. It would be impossible for him to explain why he did not remember. How could he explain that he was not there? "Two passenger planes hijacked by terrorists slammed into the Twin Towers on September 11th, 2001. The Pentagon was hit by another plane." He stopped.

"Sir?" the recruit spoke again, her hand in the air, "Would you mind telling more about what you thought during that time? I mean, it is one of the most tragic events in American history before... well, this."

Connor thought back, recalling what he had heard from other people. "It was... horrible. The two towers were hit one after another. Black smoke filled the air, highlighting New York City with two distinct lines of death and destruction. You could see the people screaming, but you could not hear them. You were deaf from the sound of pure horror and pure terror that filled your mind.

"They said you could hear the screams and then a thud. After that, another. After that, another and another and another and another. It was the sound of the impact of bodies and cement. The sound of people clawing their way out of the fire, into thin air, and down. Can you imagine not only cornered by walls of fire and molten metal, but also turning around to see that you are thousands of feet above the ground, knowing that you are about to die, yet standing there, choosing how to go?"

Silence.

"They say that the heroes of that day were the firefighters and other rescue workers. Shame we don't have any of these heroes any more. Nothing left to burn, I guess." A grim smile at his own little jest. "As people desperately streamed out of the towers, these brave men and women charged in. Running the opposite way, the wrong way, or the right. To save people that they never ever knew. To save people when they might not even live to be thanked. Would you be able to do that? Would you be able to run into the line of fire to save the life of your best friend? More importantly, would you throw yourself into the sights of metal to save a fellow human who you did not know, and would probably never get the chance to know?

"These firefighters could stare up into the sky of smoke, seeing the ornate flames flickering and flaring across the sides of the buildings, take one more, maybe last, breath of clean oxygen and sprint into those very flames. People talk about these heroes. 'Climbing higher through the fire. / Time was running out. / Never knowing you weren't going to be coming down alive.'

"The number? Three hundred and forty three. Three hundred and forty three lives. Three hundred and forth three souls. Three hundred and forty three heroes who were willing to run into a collapsing building in the hopes that they could save one more life. And then, one more. And another. And just one more. Just so that one more person could live just one more day. I heard of this one firefighter who saved the life of another man. As he helped that man down the stairs, the firefighter was heard saying, 'Everything's gonna be alright. Everything's gonna be alright. Everything's gonna be alright. Be strong. Believe.' As that man continued down the stairs and into the sun, that firefighter charged up the stairs to save just one more person. And another. And another.

"He's still up there."

Pause. An unnatural stillness filled the room and each of its occupants.

"Three hundred and forty three."

Another pause.

"Three hundred and forty three. Can you imagine? Yet this is just a statistic. A number. Nothing more. It is dwarfed by any individual who was willing to give up his life for the simple chance, for the very _chance_ that one other life would live for one more day. _That_ is a life worth living.

"Will you lead a life worth living? It's okay to be afraid. We all feel it. We all know the icy crystal that encrusts our hearts when facing death itself. It's okay. But will you be the brave soul who is able to tear away from that force and continue running?

"Do you see who we are? What makes us humans and not machines? All of us have been thrown into a world where the only choices are to live or to die. To fight or to surrender. To struggle against extinction, or to wait for the end. But we must remember that there was once a day when men and women had other choices for their lives, choices much simpler than the ones we have today, yet do you see what we are? Who we are? We are a species that consist of individuals willing to dedicate their lives to facing death. They had the choice to sit in an luxurious office building all day, but instead, they chose to help others.

"Will you be one who is not fighting for your own life, but one who surges into the fires of war to save one more life. And another. And another. Just one more. And one more. Another. Another.

He shifted and it just so happened that light reflected off his sidearm, flickering in the faces of his audience.

"Because that is what this war is about. It's not about survival. It's about fighting so that one more person has the chance, the opportunity, to breath one more breath, to live one more life. What's the point of surviving if you lead a meaningless life? What's the point of dying, if your death is in vain? What is the point of this war, if you are fighting with the sense of apathy that the machines have brought onto this earth?"

General Connor stepped back and aside, away from the stage. He stood there in shadows and watched as his audience slowly dispersed. Some things he didn't feel like the rest of them. Some things he didn't feel at all.

"Sir?" The recruit who had sparked this particular topic stood before him, slightly to the right. General Connor angled his head towards her. She stared at him for a second. "You weren't there, were you?"

General Connor blinked. "I... excuse me?"

"You weren't there. September eleventh. You weren't there."

Regaining his composure, "What exactly makes you think that?"

The recruit smiled, "I just know." She turned and joined the rest of the recruits exiting.

General Conner looked on thoughtfully.

"General!" A courrier ran past the guards, "Sir! Your presence is requested at command!"

The General's gaze was focused on a certain position in space as he thought about the short conversation.

"Sir? Preferably, as soon as possible..."

General Connor glanced at the courrier. "Of course. Thank you." He nodded at his guards and began making his way to command. Some questions were best left unanswered.


End file.
